Charles Zollars letter: Universal health care carries risks

I recently heard Beto O’Rourke speak. As most know, he is the Democrat candidate for the U.S. Senate.

During his talk, he said he was for universal health care (UHC). He received an enthusiastic applause from the audience for that statement.

Our health care system needs some improvement, but it seems that the audience had little realization of the adverse effects of UHC. Such a massive restructure could only be accomplished by the federal government. Rules and regulations would be made by unelected government employees and we would be bound by their decisions and policies.

Our forefathers wrote the Constitution to minimize government control over our people. I am concerned that the progressive philosophy seems to welcome increased government control. If UHC were to prevail, the government would essentially have total control over our lives regarding anything related to medical care. The thought of such an increase in control should be disturbing to all of us.

UHC sounds appealing and compassionate, but under UHC we would run the risk of being subservient to an ever-stronger central government. Inordinate concentration of power should be avoided.

Living under UHC would not be a utopian existence. There would be a number of problems. Before people advocate UHC, it would be advantageous to do some study, such as examining the pros and cons of European health systems.

Also, examination of our VA system would be an eye-opener. Our VA system is a good example of government-run health care.